Children's Home run by Lighthouse Southwest Ltd in Torbay

Inspection report for children’s home: 2534589 1 Registered provider: Lighthouse Southwest Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by an independent provider. It is registered to care for up to three children who may have emotional or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of inspection, three children were living in the home. All of them were involved in the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

Staff in the home are referred to as ‘adults’. This is reflected in the report.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2019.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account requires improvement to be good

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Overall experiences and progress of

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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Overall experiences and progress of

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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Overall experiences and progress of

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

Date of last inspection: 13 February 2024

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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2534589 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/02/2024 Full Good 05/07/2022 Full Good 07/09/2021 Full Good 28/01/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2534589 3

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improvement to be good

Children have trusted and secure relationships with the adults. All the children described being able to go to adults when needed. One child has a separate ‘flat’ in preparation for moving on from the home. They came to adults during the inspection to support them with managing money. Adults use favourite foods and enticing meals to encourage children out of their rooms when they want to stay there.

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improvement to be good

One child has moved on from the home, and two have arrived since the last inspection. Positive endings were supported. Two children who previously lived at the home have given amazing feedback about their positive experiences there.

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improvement to be good

One child, who has lived in the home for nearly four years, has made notable progress from their starting point. They have been settled for two years, are in work and are now learning to drive. Adults have supported them to manage money and cook independently, and they are well prepared for moving on to adulthood in a few months’ time. Adults have greatly supported another child to develop their self-care skills. They have also helped them to develop hobbies and interests and join groups.

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improvement to be good

One child was able to make a complaint which was responded to sensitively. However, this child has been asking to move for several weeks, and this has not been responded to by professionals. The manager has requested regular meetings with the child’s social worker. However, effective plans to keep the child safe are not in place. This child has suffered significant harm when away from the home.

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improvement to be good

Two children are in full-time education or part-time work. One child’s schooling has been disrupted by missing behaviours and a refusal to attend. This child was making great progress with education. However, since they have stopped attending, limited attempts have been made to encourage them to engage in education at home. This child accepts the care from the team that has been offered. When they return from periods of missing from the home, there is a strong focus on recuperation, and they are welcomed with warmth and nurture. However, encouragement to prevent them from going missing from home by providing positive activities and encouraging the development of appropriate friendships is lacking.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to have healthy diets, and home-cooked nutritious food is offered routinely. Children’s bedrooms are personalised, and they take a great sense of pride in their spaces.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are supported by adults. Sexual health needs are openly discussed. Adults in the home are properly trained to provide support, and healthy relationships are encouraged. Inspection report for children’s home: 2534589 4

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improvement to be good

All the children were able to identify an adult that they could talk to if they were worried. The risks for one child are incredibly high. Adults immediately notify the police and local authority when incidents happen, and they call the police appropriately. However, this child has been exposed to significant risk and has been harmed during missing episodes. Adults have continued to raise and escalate these concerns with the multi-agency team. However, risk management for the child has not been successful.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are reviewed and updated regularly. However, children do not receive a consistent and coordinated response when they go missing from home. Children’s plans give guidance to adults on how to respond when children go missing from home. However, adults shared mixed views on how they should respond when children do go missing from home. Adults are unsure whether to follow the child or go to certain places and wait. At points, there have been delays in adults going to look for children. Where it has been assessed that the risks are too high for adults to search for children, there is a lack of alternative action taken.

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improvement to be good

The manager has been proactive in requesting multi-agency meetings and in challenging other professionals when decisions have been made by others not to remove the child from harmful situations. Adults request return home interviews and strategy meetings take place regularly. Leaders and managers work with safeguarding agencies to devise safer plans. However, these plans are not yet forthcoming and have placed the adults in a difficult position in terms of effectively supporting the child. These issues were escalated during the inspection and the child moved on from the home shortly afterwards.

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improvement to be good

Conversations take place with children about how to keep themselves safe, particularly in relation to sexual health and safe travel. Messages about individuals who present a risk are made clear, and children are encouraged to make good choices.

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improvement to be good

Management oversight is clearly recorded in relation to all serious incidents. Additional questions could be asked of what adults could do differently, particularly when serious incidents have occurred. The focus has been on reporting concerns to the police and other agencies and not on what the home could do differently. If there are risks that prevent adults from taking the action they feel necessary, this should be reflected in the manager’s analysis.

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improvement to be good

Physical intervention has been used on two occasions since the last inspection. Interventions used were proportionate and necessary and only used for short periods of time. Conversations take place with children about these situations. Currently managers directly involved in the intervention review the incident. This limits the opportunity for independent oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Inspection report for children’s home: 2534589 5 The home has a stable team of adults who know the children well. Close working relationships exist with other professionals, and information is shared quickly. The manager challenges other agencies appropriately when children’s needs are not being met. Although for one child this has not been effective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Adults feel supported, and there is a close sense of team in the home. Many of the adults shared how they feel supported by their manager, whom they see as a strong and supportive role model. Agency workers have not been needed as the team cover for each other.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Supervision and team meetings take place routinely. The manager has good systems to keep this on track. Children’s needs are discussed, and information from other professionals is shared with the team. The team benefits from the input of a psychotherapist to support their care of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Training to meet the specific needs of children has been organised. The manager is responsive to incidents and organised additional restraint training when this became an issue. Feedback from professionals describes close communication and adults who know the children well and advocate for them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2534589 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this means that when children go missing from home, there must be a clear plan of action that staff follow, which reduces actual harm to children. Staff must be proactive and search for children and have effective ways of helping to protect children. They must revise their ways of working if their approach is not protecting children. 30 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— 30 April 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2534589 7 helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this means that when serious incidents occur, managers must review the actions taken by staff and consider whether alternatives could have led to a different outcome for the child.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when children are not in education, they are given opportunities to learn informally. Staff should continue to support a child’s education plan and provide activities that will contribute to their learning. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should ensure that children are offered a wide range of activities both inside and outside of the home, where appropriate, and are encouraged to participate in those activities. Activities that encourage and support the children to develop friendships should be a priority. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.5)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2534589 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lighthouse Southwest Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Providence Court, 5, Exeter EX2 5JL

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Inspector:

Nickie Doney, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2534589 9 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector:

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Inspector:

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Inspector:

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